ORLANDO – Coming off its first Sun Belt Conference win of the season, the UCF men’s soccer team returns to Orlando on Friday night for another matchup against a nationally-ranked top 25 squad.
The Knights (3-5-1, 1-2 Sun Belt) will host No. 11 Georgia Southern (8-1-1, 2-1) at the UCF Soccer Complex, marking their seventh contest this season against a program that has appeared in at least one of the United Soccer Coaches’ top-25 polls.
In their last match, the Black and Gold earned a 2-0 victory over South Carolina Oct. 4 behind a strong all-around team performance.
Mateus Dejesus and Malick Thiaw led the way on the scoresheet for the Knights with a pair of second-half goals. Dejesus’ tally, the first of his career, was also the third goal by a defender this season for the Knights, joining Jem Hewlett’s brace against Jacksonville on Sept. 11.
Clarence Awoudor, UCF’s points leader this season with 11 (6th SBC), matched his season high in assists with seven (1st SBC, 5th NCAA) after setting up both goals against the Gamecocks.
The Saint-Lo, France native also became the first player in the Scott Calabrese era to record three regular-season matches with multiple assists, following two-assist performances against UTRGV on Aug. 27 and Jacksonville on Sept. 11.
With five saves against South Carolina, senior goalkeeper Juanvi Muñoz matched his single-game 2025 season high in stops, helping the Knights secure their third clean sheet of the 2025 campaign. His 28 total saves this year rank fourth in the Sun Belt.
The Valencia, Spain native surpassed Antti Laitinen for sole possession of ninth place on UCF’s all-time shutout list with 10, while also tying Shawn Doyle for seventh on the program’s career goals-against average chart at 1.26.
The Knights will look to carry their winning momentum back home, where they’ve been strong defensively this season, conceding just three goals across four matches at the UCF Soccer Complex.
Friday night’s matchup is expected to test the Knights’ offense, as the Georgia Southern Eagles enter with the Sun Belt’s best defensive record, conceding just six goals through 10 matches this season. Goalkeeper Nate Martinez has recorded 31 saves and holds a conference-best .838 save percentage.
UCF holds an 8-3-0 all-time record against Georgia Southern, including a perfect 7-0 mark in Orlando. Since joining the Sun Belt in 2023, the two sides have split their meetings, with the Knights earning a 2-0 home win on Oct. 7, 2023, before the Eagles claimed a 2-0 victory in the most recent matchup on Oct. 27, 2024.
In their most recent outing, Georgia Southern fell 2-0 on the road at West Virginia, ending a program-record streak of seven consecutive wins and giving the Eagles their first loss this season.
Georgia Southern is led by sophomore forward Ricky Louis out of Fort Myers, Florida, who has tallied six goals in nine matches, ranking second in the Sun Belt. Louis also leads the conference in game-winning goals with four.
Louis earned national recognition earlier this season after scoring both goals in Georgia Southern’s 2-1 win over then-No. 4 Marshall on Sept. 28. The performance secured the Eagles’ first-ever victory over a top-five opponent, propelling them to their highest United Soccer Coaches ranking in program history at No. 6, while also earning Louis TopDrawerSoccer National Player of the Week honors.
Kickoff for the match is set for 7 p.m. from the UCF Soccer Complex and will be streamed live on ESPN+.
TICKETS
UCF men’s soccer season and single-game tickets are on sale now. Please visit ucfknights.com/tickets for more information or call the ticket office at (407) 823-1000.
ABOUT UCF ATHLETICS
UCF is a proud member of the Big 12 Conference. Our mission is to positively transform the lives of our students academically, athletically, and personally through a nationally competitive intercollegiate athletics program that enhances the reputation and visibility of the University. We strive to be Florida's preeminent athletic program representing UCF and our community.